There are several benefits acquired when NJIT officers and employees and special NJIT officers and employees attend events. Attendance at events provides unique opportunities to network, to share knowledge and expertise with industry peers, and to be educated in constantly evolving fields such as technology.

An event is defined as any meeting, conference, seminar, speaking engagement, symposium, training course, ground-breaking, ribbon-cutting, meal, open house, cocktail party, fundraiser, holiday party, social function, or similar event that takes place away from the work location, is sponsored by an individual/entity other than the State and the officer/employee is attending because of his/her position at NJIT.

Prior to attending an event, an officer/employee must complete an Attendance at Events Form (AEF) and obtain approval. To expedite and facilitate the approval process of AEF forms, the forms will be approved by the same individual who approves an officer's or employee's Travel and Reimbursement Form. The AEF, once approved, is subsequently then filed with the Ethics Liaison Officer. An officer/employee is not permitted to accept an honorarium or fee for a speech or presentation at an event; and is not permitted to use his/her official title for the purpose of fundraising for a private organization, whether at an event or elsewhere.

When considering whether attendance at an eventshould be approved, it must be determined that attendance/participation:

serves a legitimate purpose to NJIT;

will assist the officer/employee in carrying out his/her official duties at NJIT;

does not give the appearance of impropriety; and

is not in violation of the Conflicts of Interest Law, the Ethics Regulations, the Uniform Code of Ethics, or NJIT’s Supplemental Code of Ethics.

Scholarly Exception

If an NJIT employee attends an event serving in his/her scholarly capacity, an AEF is not necessary. In addition, an NJIT employee serving in a scholarly capacity may accept an honorarium, academic prize or other thing of value if the honorarium, academic prize or other thing of value reflects payment for orally or in writing sharing his or her intellectual work, acting in an editorial capacity for a journal or other publication or reviewing journal or book manuscripts, or grant or contract proposals, or participating in accreditation or other peer review activities, or other scholarly activity.

Conditions

If the officer's/employee's attendance at an event has been approved, and is sponsored by an interested party, NJIT must pay your reasonable expenses associated with attending the event, and neither you nor NJIT can receive travel, meals, accommodation, waiver of conference or event fees or any other costs associated with attending the event, or reimbursement for such costs from the sponsor..

Active Participant Exception

If an event is designed to provide training, dissemination of information, or the exchange of ideas, and the officer/employee will be making a speech, participating in a panel at the event, or acting as an accompanying resource person for the speaker/participant, approval must first be obtained. If approval is granted, the officer/employee may accept:

Allowable Entertainment Expenses – the costs for a guest speaker, incidental music, and other ancillary entertainment at any meal at an event, provided they are moderate and not elaborate or excessive; and

Actual and Reasonable Expenditures for Travel or Subsistent – including commercial travel rates directly to and from the event and food and lodging expenses which are moderate and neither elaborate nor excessive.

For an event outside New Jersey, this amount must not exceed $500 per trip for expenditures not paid by NJIT

The $500 limitation does not apply if reimbursement or payment is made by:

A non-profit organization and the officer/employee is an active member of the organization and NJIT pays the membership fee;

A non-profit organization that does not contract with NJIT to provide goods, materials, equipment, or services;

Any agency of the federal government; or

Any agency of another state.

An NJIT officer/employee is prohibited from accepting entertainment or other items of value that are collateral to the event, such as a golf outing, concert tickets, or meals taken other than in a group setting with all event attendees